Does Poly-Vi-Sol Contain Iron?
Poly-Vi-Sol is available in two formulations: one WITHOUT iron and one WITH iron (Poly-Vi-Sol with Iron). The standard Poly-Vi-Sol multivitamin drops do not contain iron, but parents and clinicians must specifically select the "with iron" formulation if iron supplementation is desired 1.
Key Formulation Details
The iron-containing version (Poly-Vi-Sol with Iron) provides approximately 10 mg of elemental iron per 1 mL dose, which is the typical daily serving for infants and young children 1, 2. This amount is designed to meet the recommended dietary allowance for iron in healthy infants but falls below therapeutic dosing for iron-deficiency anemia 3.
Clinical Context for Iron Supplementation
For prevention of iron deficiency in healthy infants: Iron-fortified formulas and multivitamins containing iron (like Poly-Vi-Sol with Iron) provide sufficient iron to meet nutritional needs 1
For treatment of confirmed iron-deficiency anemia: The standard therapeutic dose is 3 mg/kg per day of elemental iron given as ferrous sulfate drops between meals, which typically exceeds what multivitamin preparations provide 3
Breast-fed infants starting at 4 months: Introduction of iron-fortified cereals or supplements protects against iron deficiency, with only 3% developing iron-deficiency anemia compared to 15% receiving non-iron-fortified options 1
Important Prescribing Considerations
Always verify the specific product label, as children's multivitamin preparations vary widely in iron content 2. Approximately 44% of children's multivitamin products contain iron, while 56% do not 4.
Safety Profile
Accidental ingestions of children's multivitamins with iron rarely cause significant toxicity when the product is the child's own dietary supplement 4
The mean iron ingestion in pediatric overdose cases was 16.8 mg/kg, with 100% of patients showing no significant toxic effects when promptly managed 4
Iron from chewable multivitamins is well absorbed and potentially comparable to iron tablets, though severe poisonings from multivitamins remain uncommon in clinical practice 5
When Multivitamins Are Insufficient
If treating confirmed iron-deficiency anemia, prescribe dedicated iron supplementation rather than relying on multivitamin formulations 3. The 10 mg of iron in typical pediatric multivitamins cannot deliver the 3 mg/kg per day needed for therapeutic correction of anemia in most children over 3-4 kg body weight 3.